Diet should push Suzuki to resign: JCP

The Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office on April 30 arrested Miyano Akira, secretary to House of Representatives Member Suzuki Muneo, and seven officials of a consulting and construction companies on suspicion of obstruction of the government-funded construction project of the so-called "Muneo House" on Kunashiri, a Russian-held island off Hokkaido.

Miyano, Suzuki's chief public secretary, in June and July 1999 called the seven people to Suzuki's office in Kushiro City, Hokkaido to share information about the bid including an estimate of the construction.

Speaking at a news conference on the same day, Fudesaka Hideyo, Japanese Communist Party acting Secretariat head, said that their arrests are clear proof of what the JCP has said about Suzuki's corruption.

Citing internal Foreign Ministry documents, the JCP has insisted that Suzuki urged the ministry to limit bidders for the contract to build the "Muneo House" to a company in his home constituency.

During unsworn testimony at the Diet on March 31, Suzuki, asked if his secretary was involved in wrongdoing about the bidding, answered "No."

Regarding Suzuki's remark, Fudesaka said that the House of Representatives Budget Committee should indict Suzuki on a charge of perjury.

He added that the Diet should summon Suzuki again to testify under oath and adopt a resolution calling on Suzuki to resign from the Diet.

Pointing out that the "politics and money" has become a major issue in the current Diet session, Fudesaka said, "The government and the ruling parties must seriously deal with the suspicion about Suzuki and the Foreign Ministry. Otherwise, they will become the focus of severer criticism from the public." (end)